Attorney III

Position: The Secretary of State’s (SOS) office is seeking to fill a permanent, full-time Attorney III in the Legal Affairs Office. You will play a vital role for our Agency by performing a broad range of sensitive and complex legal work, including representing the Agency in complex litigation.

Under the general direction of the Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel and Attorney Supervisors, duties encompass developing strategy and tactics in complex disputes and litigation, participating at hearings on behalf of the agency, conducting legal research, drafting legal opinions and briefs, participating in negotiations, and rendering legal advice to agency staff. The Legal Affairs unit within the Secretary of State’s office provides legal advice relating to all functions of the agency. This may include responding to legal issues involving elections, businesses, political campaigning, legislative advocacy, and historical treasures. Duties specific to this position are as follows:

Legal Review, Legal Program Advisor and Oversight: Performs difficult and complex legal work on behalf of the Agency, including legal review of various documents and contracts, legal research and opinion drafting for the agency; responds to legal correspondence and develops and updates agency procedures and policies to ensure legal compliance. Provides legal support and advice to agency management and staff on matters related to the agency’s functions, roles and responsibilities. Assist with procurement and issues relating to contracting, including negotiating and drafting procurement documents, reviewing and drafting contracts, representing the agency in protests, risk management, security, and intellectual property. Acts as liaison with Department of General Services, Department of Finance, Department of Technology, other departments and the Legislature as needed.

Administrative Proceedings and Civil Litigation: Research applicable laws, rules and regulations to develop strategy and tactics in complex disputes and litigation; and provides legal advice to the Secretary of State, Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel, Attorney Supervisors, and Division Chiefs, management and staff regarding division and/or agency legal issues with general or statewide impact. May represent the agency in administrative proceedings before the Office of Administrative Hearings, California Department of Human Resources and the State Personnel Board. Assists the Attorney General’s Office with interpretation of statutes, regulations, policies and procedures regarding SOS’ authority and roles and responsibilities. Reviews complaints, motions, and other pleadings, assists in discovery and trial, including witness and expert preparation. Represents the Agency in litigation related to various programs. Coordinates with the Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel, and Attorney Supervisors to work with the Attorney General’s Office for representation in litigation as needed.

Legislation and Regulations: Develops, interprets and/or provides legal review of various documents or information such as statewide regulations, policies, procedures, contracts, Memorandums of Understanding, loan agreements, partnership agreements and other legal documents which may include but are not limited to manuals or correspondence received from other state or local agencies; works with state and local entities to ensure legal compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies as needed; drafts and reviews proposed legislative changes, makes recommendations regarding division-wide and statewide impacts, and testifies before legislative committees; prepares and reviews bill analyses to ensure they meet the standards of law and the agency, and prepares written or verbal comments for submission to the Legislature setting forth the position of the Secretary of State regarding proposed legislation.

Document Production: Reviews Public Records Act (PRA) requests, other public and legislative inquiries and the Agency’s responses. Provides legal advice and support to Division management and staff on records requests and correspondence. Coordinates divisional responses to subpoenas, as needed, which may involve directing staff to research and copy responsive documents, reviewing responsive records for compliance, writing affidavits, and communicating with the courts or subpoenaing attorneys.

Legal Representation and Management Assistance: Provides general legal advice relating to agency issues; assists with managing litigation, conducts outreach, and performs general administrative responsibilities.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Salary

• $10,852 - $15,325/month

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements
You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• ATTORNEY III

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Litigation experience, including a history of independently handling and litigating complex civil cases.
• Knowledge of California's legislative and administrative rule process.
• Knowledge of election and corporate laws.
• Demonstrates excellence in verbal and written communications.
• Exceptional proficiency in legal research and analysis.
• Ability to meet deadlines, take initiative, and work independently and/or in a team environment.
• Demonstrate consistent attention to detail.
• Proven leadership abilities, including mentoring and guiding junior legal staff.
• Ability to interact professionally and effectively with the public, Agency personnel, and other stakeholders.

Other Information

Additional Documents

• Job Application Package Checklist
• Duty Statement

Department Information

The Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) consists of nearly 750 dedicated public servants who uphold the rights of Californians while also striving to make our government, elections, and businesses both accessible and transparent. Led by an elected leader, accountable to the public, we are dedicated to fostering career development opportunities and growing a skilled workforce that embraces inclusion and values diversity.

Located in downtown Sacramento, the SOS building is within walking distance to a variety of eateries and amenities. Light Rail, State Capitol, Downtown Commons (DOCO), and Golden 1 Center, just to name a few. Conveniently located in the SOS building, the Gold Rush Grille offers delicious daily specials for breakfast or lunch and is open to the public. Our on-site childcare incorporates programs for children six weeks to five years old. Priority waitlist access and special discounted rates are available for SOS employees.

For more information about the SOS, please visit sos.ca.gov.

Special Requirements

Membership in the State Bar of California is a requirement.

Statement of Qualifications: Applicants must submit a Statement of Qualifications detailing how they meet the “Desirable Qualifications” listed below. The Statement of Qualifications must be no more than two (3) pages typed, using business professional font, font size, and formatting. Applications that do not follow the directions as identified above, provide incomplete responses, or do not submit a Statement of Qualifications will not be considered.

Education: When using education to meet minimum qualifications, please include all the required documents necessary to verify that you meet the minimum qualifications for this classification (i.e., degree, transcript, license, and certificate). Candidate may be required to provide a transcript prior to hire.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 9/22/2025

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process.Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How to Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Secretary of State
Attn: Leah Mikol
1500 11th St - 4th Floor - Suite 475
Sacramento, CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Secretary of State
1500 11th St - 4th Floor - Suite 475
Sacramento, CA 95814
Drop off applications in the 1st floor Lobby Rotunda in the secured bin marked Human Resources.
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please follow the directions to respond to the Statement of Qualifications as directed above.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Working Conditions

Positions provide telework opportunities based upon the agency’s telework policy and business needs.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Human Resources Contact:
Leah Mikol
(916) 695-1510
lmikol@sos.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Sarah Bielski
(916) 653-6974
sbielski@sos.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device. Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.